Discover The History Behind Miura Golf Clubs
Miura's story can be traced back to 1957. The company was founded by Katsuhiro Miura, who saw an opportunity to improve on the contemporary forging techniques employed by existing manufacturers...
Miura's story can be traced back to 1957. The company was founded by Katsuhiro Miura, who saw an opportunity to improve on the contemporary forging techniques employed by existing manufacturers of golf clubs.
From the company's earliest days, Miura has hand-crafted golf clubs to a standard that the company firmly believes can be used for life. Today, Miura has a reputation like few other manufacturers in the industry, but how has it got to where it is, and what makes Miura so unique?
To help answer these questions, we'll chart the following steps in the Miura story:
- The Craftsmanship Behind Miura Golf Clubs
- Miura's Unique Design Philosophy
- Miura's Impact on Professional Golf
- The Miura Line-Up
- Future Releases
The Craftsmanship Behind Miura Golf Clubs
To understand why Miura has such legendary status, you must look at the craftsmanship that goes into each golf club. Seeing the process of how other golf clubs were forged, Katsuhiro Miura believed he could do a better job.
Following the traditional methods similar to the production of forging samurai swords, Miura could cut out the imperfections he saw with other forged irons, creating a feel and consistency to his clubs that could not be matched.
Each stage of the build process involves human interaction with highly skilled workers following the Miura way of building golf clubs. If you visit the factory in Himeji, you can still see Katsuhiro Miura working on grinding clubs to the same exacting standards even though he is now in his 80s. The artisan process of building golf clubs witnessed in the Miura factory means that they will never mass-produce clubs.
Miura's Unique Design Philosophy
So, how does Miura create arguably the finest irons on the market, and how do they make their unique feel, which helps create the myth around these clubs?
The answers can be found in the production process. A unique feature of Miura's iron production is that the head and hosel are built separately. The reason for this lies in Miura's attention to creating the tightest density and grain within the forging process, giving the finished iron a level of purity and consistency.
Including the hosel in the forging process comprises the ability to manipulate the grain to the standards Miura seeks. Soft carbon billet is heated to 1200 degrees Celsius, which then begins the forging process with a "two-strike" system using precise force to shape the head and manipulate the grain.
Miura adds a third strike to the head, unlike other forged club manufacturing. This third strike happens after the iron head has been cooled and then reheated to 900 degrees Celsius. This gives another opportunity to ensure the grain and density are perfect.
Once the heads are cooled down, adding the hosel can take place. To do this, Miura employs a unique process called "spin-welding". The hosel and the head are put into a special machine which spins the hosel at high speed against the club head. At maximum speed, the level of friction and heat created welds the two pieces together, forming a full iron head. As the iron heads near completion, one final unique process takes place.
The grinding process is carried out by Katsuhiro Miura and his son Yoshitaka. With over 50 years of experience behind him, Katsuhiro's skills earned him the title of having "the hands of god", according to a Japanese publication.
Those skills have been passed to Yoshitaka to ensure the tradition continues for years to come. Miura clubs are designed to be custom-built so golfers can ascertain which heads are best for their game.
They can choose the finish to the head they want - some models now offer a striking black finish known as QPQ, along with the standard brushed satin finishes. Golfers can also choose which custom ferrule design they would prefer, which is added when the clubs are constructed.
Miura has launched an iron selector tool on its website to help golfers in their decision-making process. A series of questions will prompt the golfer to make responses that will lead to a recommendation at the end.
Miura's Impact on Professional Golf
Miura was not initially in the market to pay professionals to play their clubs, but stories started to circulate that some of the major manufacturers were secretly commissioning Miura to build irons for their tour pros.
One of the more famous stories surrounded whether or not Titleist and Nike got Miura to forge the irons used by Tiger Woods, but this was debunked in 2019.
2022 saw Adam Scott starting to play with a set of Miura irons designed specifically for him. The collaboration sparked a lot of interest, with details of the irons being announced later in the year with an accompanying video on Miura's website and on YouTube showing Scott visiting the factory and discussing the design.
Subsequently, Miura has released a model to the public called the AS-1, which matches Scott's specifications. Abraham Ancer, Brandt Snedeker, and Charl Schwartzel comprise an exclusive club of current Miura tour players.
Miura's Global Reach
Miura has built up a core following of golfers who understand how good their clubs are and share a common interest in all things related to golf clubs. The company is starting to reach out further into the wider golfing community with a more prominent presence on social media and a wider distribution network of its products.
Within the UK, a few select outlets stock Miura products including Nine by Nine Golf, nearly all of them being custom fit specialists, which ties perfectly into the ethos of Miura - the best way to enjoy their irons is to be fitted for them.
The Miura Line-Up
Miura's current model range features traditional muscle back blades and sleek cavity back designs.
MB-101, Blade Perfection
The flagship blade is the MB-101. This is a pure blade aimed at the best ball strikers. Clean in its appearance with a narrow top line, no offset and a compact square head, the MB-101 is the pinnacle for golfers who want the ultimate in feedback and playability.
MC-502, Carrying On the Dynasty
The MC-501 was Miura's best-selling iron, so the MC-502 has an important legacy to continue. Managing the gap between pure blade and cavity blade, the MC-502 features the looks at address of the MB-101 with an ultra-thin top line and compact look but, unlike the MB-101, features a small amount of offset.
Cavity Irons
Miura's version of a cavity iron doesn't compromise on the design and quality seen in its blades. The TC-201 and CB-302s offer a small cavity that moves weight out to the perimeters of the head to aid ball-striking. The CB-302 offers the widest sole of any Miura iron ever produced while featuring the Miura Y-Grind finish. For left-handed golfers, Miura also produces the CB-801 model. Offering classic blade looks with more forgiveness and a Y-Grind sole.
Forgiving Irons
Miura's ability to craft an iron that, in their interpretation, offers players maximum forgiveness while following Miura traditions is seen in the IC-601 irons. Featuring an inner cavity (IC) and back weight screw, the centre of gravity has been pushed as low as possible, helping this iron be the most forgiving offered by Miura. In addition to the IC-601, the PI-401 model features a deeper cavity and unique sole design with four angles aiding ball-turf interaction.
Future Releases
Miura is undoubtedly offering the most diverse range they ever have, which bodes well for what they will do in the future. One iron available shortly could be the most important and special iron that Miura releases - the KM-700. This has to be a special iron since it carries the signature of the company's founder, Katsuhiro Miura.
The KM-700 has been five years in the making, with the finished product offering a unique hosel and toe area design to stretch the sweet spot, adding more forgiveness on off-centre hits.
There is also a new grind on the toe section of the iron featuring a new camber design, allowing for better ball-turf interaction. The KM-700 represents the pinnacle of Miura's capabilities, encapsulating perfectly cutting-edge design with breathtaking looks and finish.
Final Thoughts
Miura represents something special in the game of golf. Katsuhiro Miura had a specific idea of how irons could be built to a standard never seen before, culminating in the Miura feel, which sets the benchmark for forged irons.
The artisans at Miura employ unique forging techniques and design philosophy to produce irons that are designed to the tightest of tolerations and consistency throughout, creating the distinctive Miura feel.
The fact that you could own a set of irons that have been ground by the company founder, Katsuhiro Miura, is something that isn't seen in any other manufacturer, adding an extra layer to how special these golf clubs are.
We are very fortunate at Nine by Nine Golf to be an approved supplier of Miura products. We have a range of blades - including the KM-700 and cavity back designs to cover a wide range of golfers. We also stock Miura's wedge range if you are looking to add those to your iron selection.
If you are interested in finding out more about what makes Miura products so unique, we highly recommend booking a fitting session with us. We also feature the Miura range on our website, with full, customisable options available if you are already familiar with the brand.
